How to Read Churches: A Crash Course in Ecclesiastical Architecture

I bought this to take with me on a trip to Germany and Austria since we planned to visit quite a few churches. I read a couple chapters on the plane, and browsed others. I have very little knowledge of church architecture and my memory of the historical periods is foggy at best. I wanted something that would jog my memory - main elements of baroque or Gothic for example. This little guide was amazing! There were explanations about how to distinguish a cathedral from a basilica just by looking at the columns. I was able to easily use the guide as a reference as soon as our red-eye flight landed. Even after our trip, this guide was so interesting and clearly written that I've enjoyed reading it simply for the pleasure of learning more about the subject. It doesn't read like it's been 'dumbed down' for a complete novice such as myself, so I imagine anyone with an interest in church architecture would enjoy this compact guide.

One of my favorite readings in the recent years. This is not a storytelling book but rather of pocket reference style. It is very well organized and succinctly written. Though small, it reveals a lot of hidden knowledge of churches. After reading this book whenever I go to a church in my trips I find much more than before. The making of the book is delicate and I especially like the drawings. Beautiful, elegant and very informative cute book.

This is a wonderful little book. I almost didn't purchase it myself because of all the reviewers denigrating it for its typography and layout: they claim the text is too small; the pictures are subpar- none of this is true. Ignore these people; there is a lot of information packed into this little book in a succinct format and it is well worth the money.

I love this little book. Note the “little” part. It is indeed small and the font is likewise small, but it’s portable. It’s filled with super interesting facts about churches. I love how it has small snippets of information with a drawing to illustrate the point. No super long paragraphs and wondering what all that meant. Just remember: it’s small!

Excellent overview of church architectural details over the Millennia. Also includes non-conventional churches, such as the Colline Norte-Dame du Huat in Ronchamp France. It lacks depth, yet is an excellent guide.

what a terrific little compendium of information about "reading" a church or cathedral. Why did they make pats the way they did? How did design change over tie and geography? a ton of information in a handy little guide. Well worth the cost!

This book combines a tremendous amount of information with valuable diagrams, and illustrations in a condensed, highly comprehensive format. Very enjoyable.

This book is the perfect size to throw in a bag and hit the ground walking in a new city. My husband loves looking at churches. He said he has already learned so much about why each magnificent detail of a church was created. Perfect gift

Buena información pero muy incompleta y superficial. Recomendable para principiantes en el tema

Excellent pocket sized book

This small, easily portable book introduces a wide scope of topics pertaining to the architecture of churches, all the way from floor plans to stained glass.Its apparent simplicity clearly derives from major research and editorial work. The text is short and to the point and emphasis is placed on illustrations. Consistently, these are monochrome drawings. They succeed in focussing attention on concepts rather than on individual buildings as photographs would have. The lay-out is both contemporary and attractive.This work is very strongly recommended, both as an introduction or a refresher on the topic and as a travel companion.

This was a fascinating book. I could not believe how much information is packed on the pages of this small book. I wanted to immediately buy more copies to give out as gifts to friends who I knew would appreciate the sketches, the information, the history lesson. Recommended!

if the book wasn't so tiny it would get 5 stars! I was hoping for a full size book, but even though its only about 6 inches tall, its packed full of information and diagrams. Awesome!